1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a locking element for a facade wall structure made from hollow profiles, or sections.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
A locking element of a similar type is described in European Patent Publication No. 0 181 285. A connecting piece, which can form a locking element, consists of an extension, or extended, profile section or a casting or a forging, which has at least two pintles and one screw opening. The connecting piece can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the hollow section and, on one side, can be completely counter-sunk into the hollow section and, on the other side, can be lifted out of the hollow section with screws which are screwed into a screw channel. This type of arrangement permits the installation of hollow profiles, or sections, between two solidly mounted basic profiles, or sections, on any desired side. Pintles are entered into the borings of the basic section and are secured with pins. The profile, or section, can be fixed in any desirable position by means of a screw. A disadvantage of this is that all parts have to match exactly since larger tolerance deviations can, at best, only be overcome with difficulty or, possibly, not at all. Furthermore, for the attaching of the connecting piece to the basic section, two additional exact fitting bores have to be made. The fitting bores have to be aligned exactly with the bores through which the pintles are guided. It is difficult, during assembly, to insert a plastic plate to, possibly, compensate for the play between the connecting piece and the basic section. The plate will completely obscure the view of the area where the pintles are to be inserted. Further, the plastic plate should be a flexible element so that the total bracing member is not stiff and rigid especially since the screw which enters into the screw channel can only be force gripped such as by wedging. If this screw is not tight, or should it loosen over a period of time, especially with plastic discs positioned between the screw and the profile, then the entire profile could move back and forth.
European Patent Publication No. 0 149 587 discloses another suggestion for the locking element. This device differs from that described above since the attaching of the locking element on the post is not accomplished by pegs, or pins, but rather, through a conical securing screw which is positioned through the threaded bore of the locking element and fastened into a slot into the post. A disadvantage of this device is the arrangement of the pegs, or pins, which permits only hollow sections to connect with long lugs, or projections, which protrude to the outside. A whole hollow profile with a short lug, or projection, has insufficient room for the installation of the bores which accommodate the pegs, or pins. Additionally, the locking element, which may be produced out of light alloys, has projections, recesses, ledges and bevels. The locking elements cannot be produced from steel without the expenditures of high cost. The light metal locking element cannot be utilized with high building construction because of municipal ordinances regarding their fire resistance.